Mexican Barbacoa Recipe

This Mexican Barbacoa Recipe is made in the slow cooker or Instant Pot for easy and flavorful shredded beef that can be served in tacos, salads, burritos and more! (gluten free, low carb, paleo)

I’m always ready for some barbacoa tacos! Over here in my little neck of the woods, I’m already getting ready for Cinco de Mayo. I know it’s still about a month away, so I probably sound like a crazy person, but Cinco de Mayo is one of my favorite days! Mainly because everyone is looking for Mexican recipes and that’s what I’m all about! This Cinco de Mayo, I plan on celebrating with lot and lots of tacos, including some filled with this barbacoa beef.

Seasoned with smokey chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, lots of garlic and onions, and classic Mexican flavors like cumin and oregano, this shredded beef is rich, tender and juicy.

What is barbacoa?

Barbacoa is slow cooked beef that’s cooked over an open fire or in a hole that’s been dug in the ground and covered with the leaves of the maguey plant. In the US (or at least in the southern region of the country like Texas and Oklahoma where I grew up), barbacoa is made with beef tongue and beef cheek meat.

Today, I’m modernizing the recipe a little by using a chuck roast which is commonly found in most grocery stores. It’s the perfect cut of meat for slow cooking and get’s tender and rich, which is just what we want in a good barbacoa beef! Plus, if I’m being completely honest, beef tongue and cheek kind of gross me out, so while this recipe isn’t 100 percent authentic, it is inspired by my Mexican roots. 🙂

The list of spices used to make this succulent barbacoa recipe is short. Aside from the regular salt, black pepper, garlic and onions that most slow cooked meat recipes call for, I included:

Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce – adds smokey rich flavor that soaks into the meat without being too overpowering. Feel free to adjust the amount used in the recipe depending on your heat tolerance.

Cumin and oregano – traditional Mexican flavor combination that adds to the natural flavors of the meat

Apple cider vinegar – brings some acidity to the meat so it’s not overwhelmingly rich

A bay leaf – helps round out the overall flavors of the meat. Adds a little something something that you can’t quite put your finger on, but you’d realize it if it wasn’t there.

If you love barbacoa beef but don’t want to wait 8 hours for the slow cooker to do it’s thing, then the Instant Pot method is the way to go. It will have everything ready to eat in under 2 hours with the same tender and flavorful results as the slow cooker method.

The Instant Pot has really taken the food blogging world by storm lately. If you’re not familiar with this kitchen gadget, it’s an electric pressure cooker that allows you to cook meats, soups and stews, and many other things in less than half the time that it would normally take. It’s a lifesaver for those looking to infuse a ton of flavor into food in a short amount of time. Here’s the Instant Pot {affiliate link} that I highly recommend!

How to make barbacoa in the Instant Pot

Use the Sauté setting on the Instant Pot to sear the meat on all sides. Once browned, press Cancel to turn off the heat.

Add the remaining ingredients to the Instant Pot, close the lid and seal the vent valve.

Press Manual, set to High Pressure and cook for 60 minutes.

Turn the vent valve to release pressure, open the lid and shred meat with a fork.

{Video} Watch how to make barbacoa

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. Let me know in the comments below!

If you’re looking for more slow cooker recipes, you may also like these.

• Mexican Slow Cooker Chicken Posole
• Mexican Slow Cooker Chicken Carnitas
• Mexican Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas